Declaration of Dependence. Part One.

I was fortunate to attend a conversation with Dr. Stanley Hauerwas at Renovatus in Charlotte this past Sunday. I have been reading through Matthew with the assistance of Stan the Man’s commentary on the gospel over the past several weeks.  I had also heard very many good things about the Dr. from several people that I trust to know good things.  It was quite insightful.  He talked briefly about the concepts of Matthew 18, and how the church is meant to be dependent on each other.  He suggested that the heading at the top of that particular passage should say “Warning, do not try this alone.”  The point being that in right relationship with the church and with Jesus that we are necessarily dependent on each other.  We should work towards being vulnerable with each other–despite the fragility and potential rejection and suffering that such vulnerability could and probably will bring.  Take up your cross.  

But it was his discourse about Christian pacifism that sparked the most post conversation debate.  While eating Mac’s Barbecue–and Shelbyians forgive me for blasphemy–which is better than Bridges, at a picnic at the park afterwards, my thoughtful and devoted mother in law asked me a couple of questions she had on her mind. She was working through the ramifications of pacifism.  The question is what do we do when we’re attacked?  Or more specifically how would we be the free country that we are if we did not fight and sacrifice blood and treasure to maintain that freedom?  A poignant question this time of year for sure.  

I certainly don’t know much about the doctrine of pacifism, especially as espoused by Hauerwas.  I have heard that he calls questions such as this “quandary ethics” and he doesn’t really deal with what ifs.  If that’s the case–and I hope it’s more complicated than that–then that seems pretty weak.  Abstract ideas are great, but we do live in the real world.  But I digress…

The way that I think I would answer the question now, is that maybe freedom isn’t what we think it is.  We often magnify the fact that the Pharisees et al, got it all wrong in the 1st century.  They were looking for a messiah who displayed political and military power.  We accept and pronounce the fact that they weren’t looking for the right kind of messiah.  We trumpet the sacrifice and humility of our Lord Jesus.  So maybe we are just as misguided as the masses were 2000 years ago. Maybe political power and military might… maybe freedom and liberty in political terms are not what we should long for.  This is easy for me to say given the fact that I am in this wonderful country, but perhaps we should not sacrifice the principles and Truth taught to us in the Sermon on the Mount and through the life of Jesus of Nazareth for comfort and ease.  

Churches in China and India and other places that are under severe persecution are growing at astounding and miraculous rates.  That is the story of the first churches as well.  How many times does Paul write about being in jail?  How many of the early church fathers were martyred for their faith?  I don’t pray for persecution… or I don’t want to pray for it anyway.  But Jesus says time and time again that if we follow him we will face persecution.  He says that we must bear our crosses.  

Much more to explore in part two…

dt

~ by dthomas96 on July 1, 2008.